The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-06-08
ON AN OCEAN STEAMER,
HOW A GREAT TRANSATLANTIC
VESSEL Is RUN.
Duties of OGfcers and Crew-How
All Goes Like Clockwork-Enor-
nous Quantity of Fuel Used.

of our large ocean vessels let me institute
a comparison between the pioneer vessels
Of one of our lines and later additions to
the Atlantic fleet, which will at once dis
close the remarkable progress of steam
navigation upon the Atlantic. The Bri-
tannia, built in 1889, took 600 tons of
coal, leaving Liverpool on her outward
voyage. She burned fourty tons
per day, whilst her steam pressure was
nine ponnds and her speed little over
eight knots per hour. Gradually and
steadily the ocean steamers increased in
all those particulars until the elimination
was reached in a vessel built in 1885.
She has averaged a speed of eighteen
knots in nine consecutive voyages be-
tween Queenstown and New York, which
is equal to twenty-one statute miles per
hour, or somewhat greater than the aver
age speed of the ordinary train service on
any railway in the world. Her engines
indicate IA, 900 horsepower, and are
supplied with steam from nine double
ended boilers, each with eight furnaces,
or total of seventy-two furnaces. The
total consumption of coal is 800 tons per
day, or twelve tons per hour, or 466
pounds per minute; and if the whole of
the fires were raked together and formed
into one large fire there would be forty
two tons of coal, or a mass of twenty feet
long, twenty feet broad, and rather more
than four feet high, fiercely burning. Be
side the coal, 130 gallons of oil are used
daily for journals, bearings, etc. In the
engine-room are the dynamos and driving
engines used for lighting the ship, which
are looked after by the engine-room staff.
Her crew is made up as follows: The
captain, six officers, surgeon and purser,
forty seamen, carpenter and joiner,
boatswain and mate, two masters at arms,
twelve engineers, 112 fremen and trim
mers, seventy-two stewards, six steward
esses, twenty-four cooks, bakers and as
sistants, in all, 2S7 hands.
Before the commencement of voyage
the crew have to "sign articles" at this
time the officers and sailors are examined
by the ships surgeon for color blindness,
and every officer joining the service is ex-
Gmined by an expert for long and short
sight.
The ships are always sent from the
loading berth in dock to the company's
moorings, and at least twenty-four hours
before the time appointed for sailing,
and on the day before sailing, each mem
Der of the crew is given a metal badge
with number stamped upon it, showing
the boat (Which has a corresponding
number) he belongs to. After the meff
have received their badges they are
mustered, their names are called and
then they are put through the various
lr,lla orarNO;nfo1 hx, fho Iirontarc fp lNa
carried out; these consist of boat drill,
fire drill, pump drill, bulk-head door
drill and sending squads of men, belong
ing to one or more boats, from one part
to any other part of the ship. When
the order is given, "Out all boats" the
men Sailors, firemen and stewards) go to
their respective boats, i. e., those with
badges numbered 1 to No. 1 boat, and
so en- and at once cast off the lashings,
grips and covers, swing the boat out,
square the davits and stand by the order,
"Lower away"; all this time the boat
keepers always sailors) are in the boat,
and never leave her until she is again
swung in board and secured. When the
order "Lower away" is given the rope
ladder, with which each boat is supplied,
is passed to the men on deck and one
end secured to the ships rail, the other
end going down with the boat; as soon
as the boat touches the water the order
"Man all boats" is given, the boats crew
consisting of four sailors 1.-TWO already in
the boat, two firemen, two stewards, and
the officer or quartermaster in charge
then get into the boat, and she is sent to
pull round vessel or buoy at some dis
tance from the ship; upon their return
the oars are lain in and the boats sent
away under sail; when they come back
from their sailing cruise they are hoisted
in, put into their respective chocks, and
secured for the voyage, it is very rare for a
boat to exceed three minutes from the time
the order "Out all boats" is given till she is
well clear of the ships side. The fire
drill, pump drill and bulkhead door drill
are each in tnrn attended to, and an ex-
cuse is never allowed for any member OF
the crew being absent while the drill is
going on. The storerooms, staterooms,
saloons, sounding machines, lead lines,
rockets, and all life saving appliances are
thoroughly examined, and if found per.
feet the ship is considered in good order
for the voyage. At fixed hour on each
day during the voyage the bulkhead
doors are closed and opened to keep then
in good working order, All minor regu
lations of the company receive the SAINT
strict attention.
The officers and sailors are divided
into two watches and keep watch anC
watch from the time of departure from
one port till the time of arrival at tn,
other. These watches are: First watch
from 8 P. NJ. till midnight; middl,
watch, from midnight till A. NJ.
morning watch, from A. NJ. till s A
NJ; forenoon watch, from s A. NJ. til
noon; afternoon watch, from noon til
p. NJ. then comes the dog watches
the first from p. NJ till P. NJ, tn
second from p NJ. till s P. NJ. B,
this arrangement seven instead of 81,
watches are made, the intention being t,
change the turn of The night watcl
every twenty-four hours. The chic
officer third and fifth officers, and hal
the sailors are in one watch (the por
watch), the second, fourth and sixth
officers and half the sailors make M
the starboard watch. When the chic